HIBS MANAGING DIRECTOR ROD PETRIE HAS CONFIRMED THE SALE of the 'car park' land behind Easter Road in a short statement released on the official website last night.  In it though, there are no details of how this will affect the club specifically as the complicated split between the money owed by the club and that by the holding company Hibernian Holdings means that it may never be clear to anyone but a few people within the club or the club's bankers.

“The Club has been told that the land has been sold to house-builder, Westpoint Homes, who have obtained planning permission to build flats on the site." Mr Petrie confirmed last night.  “However as far as the Club is concerned it is business as usual. The Club did not own the land, and while Sir Tom Farmer has always maintained that the sale will benefit both the Parent Company and the Club, the extent to which we will benefit remains to be confirmed.”  Although there are no details for the fans, Mr Petrie has promised that there will be open communication with the fans in a manner that continues what started many months ago with the listening and focus groups, stating that there would be more detail provided “when there is clear and accurate information. Significant costs and taxes need to be taken off any figure and we don’t want to mislead anyone.”

Regardless of this income though, the club will be carrying on with it's Stand Up And Be Counted campaign as they further strive to reduce the debt burned hanging over Hibernian.  “While any benefit to the Club would be very welcome, our focus and that of everyone involved in the Stand Up And Be Counted campaign must remain on helping the Club to achieve break-even.  Break-even will certainly be much more achievable now that a reduction in the amount of cash being paid out to service the debt has been reduced although Hibs are still far from being in a totally secure position.

“We need first and foremost to find ways of balancing the books. As long as we are spending more than we earn we are simply running up more debts. The leakage must stop and has to be tackled. A reduction in our overall debt with a corresponding reduction in interest charges would be a factor, but no-one should assume that it is the answer to all of our problems.”

This is just the first step but with this and, hopefully an increase in fortunes on the playing side to come, there is light starting to shine down the tunnel that seemed so long at times last summer.